Studio Ghibli China box office: catalog re-releases by the numbers
Ghibli has treated China as a catalog market, re-releasing Miyazaki classics to audiences who never saw them in cinemas.
Published: 2026-08-19. Updated: 2026-08-19.
Short answer: Studio Ghibli's highest-grossing China re-release is Spirited Away, which earned $69 million in 2019, according to The Hollywood Reporter. My Neighbor Totoro earned $26 million from its 2018 China re-release. Howl's Moving Castle and Spy x Family Code: White both crossed the 100 million yuan mark during the 2024 May Day holiday, per People's Daily.
The catalog re-release strategy
Studio Ghibli has re-released Hayao Miyazaki's older films in China rather than relying only on new titles. The Hollywood Reporter reported that My Neighbor Totoro earned $26 million from a China re-release in 2018, followed by Spirited Away with $69 million in 2019.
Box Office Mojo confirms Spirited Away's China total at $69,010,962 and its Japan total at $238,220,330. The China re-release alone accounts for roughly 19% of the film's lifetime international gross.
Ghibli China grosses by title
Spirited Away and My Neighbor Totoro remain the standouts. The Boy and the Heron, a new release rather than a re-release, reached $93.8 million in China by its second weekend according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Howl's Moving Castle was re-released in China on April 30, 2024. People's Daily reported that it crossed the 100 million yuan mark during the May Day holiday. Box Office Mojo lists the 2024 re-release at $503,512 internationally, but that figure does not capture the full China total.
Studio Ghibli China theatrical grosses, sources: The Hollywood Reporter, Box Office Mojo, People's Daily.| Title | China gross | Release type | Year |
|---|
| Spirited Away | $69.0 million | Re-release | 2019 |
| My Neighbor Totoro | $26.0 million | Re-release | 2018 |
| The Boy and the Heron | $93.8 million | New release | 2024 |
| Howl's Moving Castle | 100+ million yuan | Re-release | 2024 |
Global context for the catalog
Spirited Away remains the highest-grossing Studio Ghibli film in Japan at 31.7 billion yen, according to Nippon.com. Its China re-release added a significant second peak nearly two decades after the original Japanese release.
Howl's Moving Castle grossed 19.6 billion yen in Japan, Box Office Mojo lists its Japan total at $190,000,000, and its 2024 China re-release introduced the film to a new audience.
Why China responds to Ghibli re-releases
Many of Miyazaki's classics were not released theatrically in mainland China when they first came out. Re-releases therefore function as first-run events for local audiences.
The strategy has also benefited from distributor partnerships. The Hollywood Reporter noted that mm2 Entertainment signed a deal to release 21 Ghibli titles in Southeast Asia, following the China playbook.
Data limits
Public trackers do not consistently separate original runs from re-releases in China. Box Office Mojo lists one China entry per title, so re-release figures are embedded in lifetime totals.
Figures for Howl's Moving Castle's 2024 China run are reported in yuan by Chinese sources but not fully converted or isolated in English-language trackers.
Frequently asked questions
Which Ghibli film grossed the most in China?
Spirited Away, with $69 million from its 2019 China re-release according to The Hollywood Reporter and Box Office Mojo.
How much did My Neighbor Totoro earn in China?
The Hollywood Reporter reports $26 million from its 2018 China re-release.
How did The Boy and the Heron perform in China?
The Hollywood Reporter reported $93.8 million in China by its second weekend in 2024.